As you may recall, I offered my ode to St. Patrick's Day last year. I won't repeat that here.
I stumbled across this passage today and thought some of you would like it, since I know we've discussed the issue in the past. It also has some interesting relevance for this Slate article on the international Irish Pub industry.
Kitsch causes two tears to flow in quick succession. The first tear says: How nice to see children running on the grass!
The second tear says: How nice to be moved, together with all mankind, by children running on the grass!
It is the second tear that makes kitsch kitsch.
The brotherhood of man on earth will be possible only on a base of kitsch.
Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being
So tonight, if you find yourself in perhaps a "Gaelic" or "Country College" Irish Pub simulacra, shedding two tears into your Guinness, brought to you by years of brewing traditions and globalization, don't feel bad. You're simply doing your part to usher in the international fraternity.
Kind of makes you feel like a fascist, doesn't it?
Posted by pjaussen at March 17, 2006 10:21 AM | TrackBackThis is a classic!!
Posted by: Dad at March 21, 2006 08:50 AM